Hearts players poised for promotion as club look to use potential starters

Hearts are assessing their options to cover for injuries when the cinch Premiership resumes a week on Saturday.
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They visit Ross County and could be without a number of first-team regulars, including midfielders Beni Baningime and Cammy Devlin, plus defenders John Souttar and Michael Smith.

Devlin has an outside chance of returning as things stand, while fellow midfielder Andy Halliday hopes to be fit. Coaching staff have several players waiting to step in and are confident in the alternatives available.

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Speaking exclusively to the Evening News, manager Robbie Neilson outlined some of the players who could find themselves promoted to the starting line-up in the Highlands.

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson has several options to cover for injured players.Hearts manager Robbie Neilson has several options to cover for injured players.
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson has several options to cover for injured players.

“That's the reason we have a squad there,” he said “It's not a particularly big one but there is quality within it. Five outfield players came on against Livingston last week, the other being young Macaulay Tait who played on Friday night in the under-18 Edinburgh derby.

“All five of them came in and brought quality to the team. Taylor Moore came on at right-back and gives us that physicality. He looked perfect moving in there.

“Toby Sibbick went into midfield, Josh Ginnelly was further forward, Alex Cochrane came on to play left-back. For me, these guys are all potential starters in the team. That's what you need.

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“A few of them can play anywhere. Andy Halliday can play left-sided centre-half, left-back and into midfield. We contemplated putting him out on the right for a period on Saturday because Nathaniel Atkinson was struggling. It's great that they can all play different positions.”

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